Petunia plant named ‘Wespecamaria’

ABSTRACT

A new and distinct cultivar of  Petunia  plant named ‘Wespecamaria’, characterized by its cascading growth habit; freely branching habit; freely and continuous flowering habit; and single medium-sized bicolored flowers that are purple in color with white-colored margins with dark purple-colored venation.

Botanical designation: Petunia×hybrida.

Cultivar denomination: ‘Wespecamaria’.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The present Invention relates to a new and distinct cultivar of Petunia plant, botanically known as Petunia×hybrida, and hereinafter referred to by the name ‘Wespecamaria’.

The new Petunia is a product of a planned breeding program conducted by the Inventor in Südlohn, Germany. The objective of the breeding program is to create new Petunia cultivars with spherical growth habit, medium-sized flowers and attractive flower coloration.

The new Petunia originated from a planned cross-pollination made by the Inventor in 2000 of a proprietary Petunia×hybrida seedling selection identified as code number 99K7878, not patented, as the female, or seed parent, with a proprietary Petunia×hybrida seedling selection identified as code number 99Fa001, not patented, as the male, or pollen, parent. The new Petunia was selected by the Inventor from the progeny resulting from the stated cross-pollination in a controlled environment in Südlohn, Germany.

Asexual reproduction of the new cultivar by terminal cuttings in Südlohn, Germany since 2000, has shown that the unique features of this new Petunia are stable and reproduced true to type in successive generations.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

Plants of the cultivar ‘Wespecamaria’ have not been observed under all possible environmental conditions. The phenotype may vary somewhat with variations in environment such as temperature, daylength, and light intensity without, however, any variance in genotype.

The following traits have been repeatedly observed and are determined to be the unique characteristics of ‘Wespecamaria’. These characteristics in combination distinguish ‘Wespecamaria’ as a new and distinct Petunia cultivar:

-   -   1. Cascading growth habit.     -   2. Freely branching habit.     -   3. Freely and continuous flowering habit.     -   4. Single medium-sized bicolored flowers that are purple in         color with white-colored margins with dark purple-colored         venation.

Plants of the new Petunia differ from plants of the female parent selection in the following characteristics:

-   -   1. Plants of the new Petunia were more uniform than plants of         the female parent selection.     -   2. Plants of the new Petunia had smaller flowers than plants of         the female parent selection.     -   3. Plants of the new Petunia had lighter-colored flowers than         plants of the female parent selection.

Plants of the new Petunia differ from plants of the male parent selection in the following characteristics:

-   -   1. Plants of the new Petunia were more freely branching than         plants of the male parent selection.     -   2. Plants of the new Petunia had lighter green-colored leaves         than plants of the female parent selection.     -   3. Plants of the new Petunia had darker-colored flowers than         plants of the female parent selection.

Plants of the cultivar Wespecamaria can be compared to plants of the Petunia cultivar Wespecapur, described in U.S. Plant Pat. No. 15,342. However in side-by-side comparisons conducted in Südlohn, Germany, plants of the new Petunia and the cultivar Wespecapur, differed in the following characteristics:

-   -   1. Plants of the new Petunia had longer branches with shorter         internodes than plants of the cultivar Wespecapur.     -   2. Plants of the new Petunia had shorter leaf petioles than         plants of the cultivar Wespecapur.     -   3. Flower color of plants of the new Petunia was different than         flower color of plants of the cultivar Wespecapur.     -   4. Plants of the new Petunia had shorter sepals than plants of         the cultivar Wespecapur.     -   5. Plants of the new Petunia had shorter peduncles than plants         of the cultivar Wespecapur.

Plants of the cultivar ‘Wespecamaria’ can also be compared to plants of the Petunia cultivar Bresh, disclosed in U.S. Plant patent application Ser. No. 09/592,379, now abandoned. However in side-by-side comparisons conducted in Südlohn, Germany, plants of the new Petunia and the cultivar Bresh differed in the following characteristics:

-   -   1. Plants of the new Petunia had thinner branches than plants of         the cultivar Bresh.     -   2. Plants of the new Petunia had smaller leaves than plants of         the cultivar Bresh.     -   3. Plants of the new Petunia and the cultivar Bresh differed in         flower color.     -   4. Plants of the new Petunia had shorter peduncles than plants         of the cultivar Bresh.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE PHOTOGRAPHS

The accompanying colored photographs illustrate the overall appearance of the new cultivar, showing the colors as true as it is reasonably possible to obtain in colored reproductions of this type. Colors in the photographs may differ slightly from the color values cited in the detailed botanical description, which accurately describe the colors of the new Petunia.

The photograph at the bottom of the sheet comprises a side perspective view of a typical plant of ‘Wespecamaria’.

The photograph at the top of the sheet comprises a close-up view of a typical flower of ‘Wespecamaria’.

DETAILED BOTANICAL DESCRIPTION

In the following description, color references are made to The Royal Horticultural Society Colour Chart, 2001 Edition, except where general terms of ordinary dictionary significance are used. Plants used for the aforementioned photographs and the following botanical description were grown in 12-cm containers during the spring and summer for about 20 weeks in a glass-covered greenhouse and under conditions that closely approximate commercial production conditions in Südlohn, Germany. During the production of the plants, day temperatures ranged from 20 to 25° C., night temperatures ranged from 16 to 18° C. and light levels ranged from 3,000 to 50,000 lux.

-   Botanical classification: Petunia×hybrida cultivar Wespecamaria. -   Parentage:     -   -   Female parent.—Proprietary Petunia×hybrida seedling             selection identified as code number 99K7878, not patented.         -   Male parent.—Proprietary Petunia×hybrida seedling selection             identified as code number 99Fa001, not patented. -   Propagation:     -   -   Type cutting.—Terminal vegetative cuttings.         -   Time to initiate roots.—About 18 days at 20° C.         -   Time to develop roots.—About 20 to 28 days at 20° C.         -   Root description.—Fine fibrous and well-branched. -   Plant description:     -   -   Form.—Annual flowering plant; cascading plant habit. Viscid,             glandular pubescent. Freely and continuous basal branching             with lateral branches potentially forming at every node.         -   Usage.—Appropriate for hanging baskets, window boxes and             patio containers.         -   Plant height (from soil level to top of plant plane).—About             22.7 cm.         -   Plant diameter.—About 25 cm.         -   Stem description.—Main branches, length: About 100 cm. Main             branches, diameter: About 3.6 mm. Lateral branches, length:             About 50 to 70 cm. Lateral branches, diameter: About             1.75 mm. Internode length: About 1.8 cm. Texture: Densely             pubescent; viscid. Color: 144A.         -   Foliage description.—Arrangement: Before flowering,             alternate; after flowering, opposite; simple. Length: About             4 cm. Width: About 2 cm. Shape: Ovate. Apex: Obtuse. Base:             Attenuate. Margin: Entire. Aspect: Flat. Texture, upper and             lower surfaces: Leathery; densely pubescent. Venation             pattern: Pinnate. Color: Developing foliage, upper surface:             137A. Developing foliage, lower surface: 147B. Fully             expanded foliage, upper surface: 146A to 146B. Fully             expanded foliage, lower surface: 146B. Venation, upper and             lower surfaces: 146C to 146D. Petiole length: About 7 mm.             Petiole diameter: About 2.5 mm. Petiole color: 146D. -   Flower description:     -   -   Flower type and habit.—Single salverform flowers; flowers             face upward and outward; single, axillary. Freely flowering.         -   Natural flowering season.—Long day responsive; flowering             from April until frost in the autumn in Germany; flowering             continuous during this period.         -   Fragrance.—None detected.         -   Flower longevity on the plant.—About one week.         -   Flower size.—Diameter: About 4.7 cm. Depth (height): About             4.1 cm. Tube length: About 2.4 cm. Throat diameter, distal             end: About 1.1 cm. Tube diameter, proximal end: About 2.5             mm.         -   Flower buds.—Length: About 3.2 cm. Diameter: About 4.5 mm.             Shape: Oblong. Color: Towards the apex, 155A; mid-section,             148C; towards the base, N77C.         -   Petals.—Arrangement/appearance: Single whorls of five             petals, fused into a flared trumpet. Length from throat:             About 1.8 cm. Width: About 2.1 cm. Shape: Obtuse. Apex:             Rounded to obtuse. Margin: Entire; undulate. Texture, upper             and lower surfaces: Smooth, glabrous. Color: When opening,             upper surface: N78A; margins, N155A; venation, N79A to N79B.             When opening, lower surface: N82B; margins, N155A; venation,             N79A to N79B. Fully opened, upper surface: N78B; margins,             N155A; venation, N79A; color becoming closer to N80B with             N79B venation. Fully opened, lower surface: 84A; margins,             N155A; venation, N79A to N79B. Flower throat (inside): 79A             to 79C; venation, N186A. Flower tube (outside): 79A to 79B;             venation, N186A.         -   Sepals.—Arrangement/appearance: Single whorl of five sepals,             fused at base; star-shaped. Length: About 1.5 cm. Width:             About 4 mm. Shape: Oblong. Apex: Round to obtuse. Margin:             Entire. Texture, upper and lower surfaces: Pubescent;             leathery. Color, upper and surfaces: 146A to 146B.         -   Peduncles.—Length: About 2.1 cm. Width: About 1.5 mm.             Strength: Wiry, strong. Texture: Pubescent. Color: 144A.         -   Reproductive organs.—Stamens: Quantity: About five per             flower. Filament length: About 1.6 to 2.1 cm. Filament             color: N77A to N77C. Anther shape: Four-parted, ovate.             Anther length: About 2.8 mm. Anther width: About 2.1 mm.             Anther color: N87C and N79B. Pollen amount: Abundant. Pollen             color: 85B. Pistils: Quantity: One per flower. Pistil             length: About 2.2 cm. Stigma shape: Ovate. Stigma color,             immature: 147B. Stigma color, mature: 147B overlain with             N77A. Style length: About 1.8 cm. Style color: 145C. Ovary             color: 144B.         -   Seed/fruit.—Seed and fruit production have not been             observed. -   Disease/pest resistance: Plants of the new Petunia have not been     noted to be resistant to pathogens or pests common to Petunia. -   Temperature tolerance: Plants of the new Petunia have been observed     to be tolerant to temperatures from 2 to 30° C. 

1. A new and distinct cultivar of Petunia plant named ‘Wespecamaria’, as illustrated and described. 